Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Does the media put pressure on your body image and should there be laws to stop this?

Options
245

Replies

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
    Options
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Yes, let's enforce by law the notion that words can cause hurtful self-realizations.

    In the USA there is such a victim mentality that it's nauseating. Posting pictures of your own weight loss and fitness success somehow "shames" fatasses and is "triggering". That catfishing and being rejected for being deceptive is magically all about unrealistic body standards. And god-for-*kitten*-bid you have an opinion that's deemed hurtful to someone's carefully constructed palace where uncomfortable realities are never allowed to intrude.

    Thank you! It's time for people to stop demanding that everything be a padded cell full of kittens and puppies and flowers. Grow up, toughen up, and learn to live in the world without crumbling!
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    Options
    Of course it puts pressure on people to achieve a certain ideal, but I don't subscribe to it. I may have when I was a teen and young adult, but the great thing about getting older is you stop caring about what others think and just do you.

    Not everyone is going to like my curly/natural hair. I don't care bc I love it. My butt is never going to look like Serena Williams' but I can still admire all of the hard work that she has put into to gain that phenomenal body and cheer her on. You have to appreciate who you are and what you have.

    Should there be laws? No. It's pointless. How would that even work? Plus, who really listens to the news anymore, they rarely report anything substantial.
  • rugbyishy
    rugbyishy Posts: 38 Member
    Options
    Media does its thing then the way people treat each other adds to it. So many people buy magazines to see what celeb looks like rubbish or searches online.
    Instead of controlling it there should be more education in schools in social education on helping self esteem, improving acceptance of others, dealing with low moods etc.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Options
    Me, personally, no. My aesthetic preferences have always been the same regardless of beauty trends over the years. I didn't want to be a size 0 in the 90s, I didn't jump on the big butt wagon in the last few years, and I don't even want to look strong.

    There is media representation for several "looks". There is the model thin, the athletic, the curvy, the voluptuous, and even the plain fat, and every single one of them has fans and followers. I don't know what "the government" would be able to do about that. Outlaw representing the thin? Doesn't sound realistic or fair. Should media also stop representing the rich, the successful, the talented, the famous, the self confident...etc god forbid it hurts someone's self esteem? I believe there will always be some kind of social pressure for some kind of aspect, but I also believe most adults are reasonable enough to understand what is attainable and what isn't.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,515 Member
    Options
    Yes it does. Hollywood and music is a big part of culture and a great deal of people are enamored by them. It's especially true for women because there's this ideal that females need to look a certain way to be desired. Which is why there is so much marketed out there to "assist" women improve on themselves anyway they can. Make up, wrinkle creams, compression garments for the waist, etc. are all things that are directed toward women and not so much men.
    And why do we do it? IMO, natural instinct. The more people that you can get to attracted to you, the higher the chances of companionship and finding a mate. That usually leads into having children and carrying on your genes.
    And no, government doesn't need to be involved at all. People have the choice of how they want to look. That's what makes us different from other species. How we wear our clothes, hair, and choose how we want our body to look (to an extent), is what helps to define our own personalities and ideals.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    Definitely no laws. It's a matter of opinion. And that would be crazy and disastrous. Because what would that mean? The media surely puts pressure on body image. But, making laws about that would not improve it. It would make it worse.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Options
    rankinsect wrote: »
    Short answer: No.

    Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooo.

    Strong Bad FTW!
  • ElJefeChief
    ElJefeChief Posts: 651 Member
    Options
    cee134 wrote: »
    What do you think?

    The best cure for bad speech is more speech. I don't support threatening people for verbalizing ideas or thoughts I disagree with, as a rule (aside from the clear "yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater" situations, that is).
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    Options
    More laws!!! Seriously?

    I'm outta here before I lose my kitten.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Options
    Media puts pressure on my brain and gives me a headache.. I have netflix now and ignore all incoming news!
  • halfninja2
    halfninja2 Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    Can't pass a law for everything (we have way too many as it is). How would it even be enforceable. Media "pressure" is subjective. One person may view it as a negative (makes them feel bad), another views it as positive (motivates them to meet goals). A picture of a model might be gorgeous to one person, average to another, ugly to another. How would any such law work or be enforced?

Categories